Fundraising: Campaigns Send Last-Minute Appeals

With the June 30 second-quarter campaign fundraising deadline looming, House and Senate campaigns sent out a flurry of emails to supporters today seeking donations.

They included:

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson‘s (R) campaign manager Ryan Burchfield sent out an appeal that made no mention of Thompson’s GOP rivals. Burchfield did, however, mention the word “liberal” three times and “Madison” five times in reference to Democratic presumptive nominee Rep. Tammy Baldwin.

Nevada Assembly Speaker John Oceguera (D) described to supporters “a Congress that’s gone so far off the tracks it might as well be a derailed train” in his race for Nevada’s 3rd district against Rep. Joe Heck (R).

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel wrote an email to supporters of former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. He described her as “facing a make-or-break moment” over the Federal Election Commission deadline. Most Democrats give Kirkpatrick the edge in her bid to win back her Arizona 1st district seat.

EMILY’s List Political Director Jonathan Parker wrote an email to the group’s supporters with the subject line “Three In Need.” He announced the winners of a contest among EMILY’s List members to choose which of the group’s candidates “should get an extra boost” before the deadline. Two are in difficult races and might well need a boost — former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings and Rep. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.). However, the third candidate was veteran Tammy Duckworth, who has won her primary and is a safe bet to make it to Congress in the fall.

Rep. Bill Keating’s (D) campaign sent out an email asking for financial help based on this week’s Supreme Court Citizens United ruling. He is expected to win re-election.

At least two Democratic campaigns mentioned the tea party in their solicitations.

Former Arizona state Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who’s locked in a competitive Democratic House primary doubled down on health care reform, writing “And when the health care law was attacked by the tea party, I didn’t run for cover.”

Democratic strategist James Carville, who often sends out donor emails, aligned himself with the campaign of former Colorado House Minority Leader Sal Pace. The headline exclaimed, “The Tea Party is Over!” Pace is challenging Rep. Scott Tipton in Colorado’s 5th.